by tree.hugger

WCS Europe

Countdown:

NrS.Welmu vs prOp.Mekar

One of the joys of competitions like WCS Challenger League is that it gives an opportunity for new players to make a name for themselves, and it gives us fans an opportunity to get a fairly solid look at what they have to offer. Mekar is one of those new names. While TLPD has listings for the Swedish Protoss going back to 2011, this is the first time he has made any serious impact. In the qualifiers, Mekar defeated players like MorroW, Tarrantius, Minato, Ourk, MarineLorD and Eiki to qualify. As WCS EU qualifier runs go, that's a fairly solid kill list. Moreover, it includes wins against several competent protoss players, which means that it would be foolish to discount Mekar in any PvP match-up.

Unfortunately, Mekar has drawn Welmu, and this is where his hype stops. Welmu is one of the more dangerous Europeans in this tournament, ranking behind NaNiwa and alongside he-who-shall-not-be-named* in the foreign Protoss depth chart. Not to mention the Finnish player has been consistently excellent in PvP throughout his career. Although Welmu doesn't get a lot of hype among the English speaking community, a loss here would be one of the larger upsets possible in WCS EU. Welmu holds a significant advantage here on paper.

Prediction: 3-1 Welmu


ESC.ShoWTimE vs prOp.MorroW

The second match of the day features MorroW, the second player from Team prOperty. The team has become something of a Swedish version of ROOT; incubating exciting up and comers while also harboring sentimental veterans dreaming of a comeback. MorroW is in the later category. Since 2010, he has struggled to find relevance on the international Sc2 stage. He has tried a race switch, a team house, and a head start with HotS, but nothing has brought MorroW the success he enjoyed in the late days of BW and the early days of Sc2. Now, he will give WCS a go. A comeback isn't out of the question. MorroW beat MaNa en route to qualifying, a very impressive feather in his cap. But recently representing Sweden in O'Gaming NationWars, MorroW couldn't muster a win and his nation crashed out. We'll see which way MorroW's career is truly headed in this WCS match.

While MorroW represents the old guard, his opponent represents the new. To those who thought the wells of foreign Sc2 talent had dried up in 2013, ShoWTimE was a shining counter-example. Little was expected of the German protoss in 2013's second season of challenger, but he surprised top players like TargA and San to make it through to Premier the following season. There, he twice defeated Mvp to make it to the final sixteen. That's where we last left off. Some impressive wins over the offseason in German EPS and the ESET Masters whet the appetite, but it's now... er... showtime for ShoWTimE. This is an opponent who recent history demands he beat convincingly. But ShoWTimE is still a bit too much of an unknown commodity for anyone to say for certain how far he can go, or how quickly his star can fall.

Prediction: 3-1 ShoWTimE


Daisy vs Acer.Bly

Is there a player more unloved in this WCS league than Daisy? While players like ABomB and stakimaN could at least count on the novelty of their nationality drawing a few fans, Daisy is the least noticeable and probably least threatening of the Korean invaders. He doesn't even have a team anymore. And he's a Protoss player. It's through no fault of his own, which itself might be a problem. If Daisy were an off-putting BM trash talker, he's probably have a massive fanbase of 16 year olds, which would be a massive improvement over his current situation.

Yet despite being Korean, Protoss, and unpopular, Daisy might be surprisingly easy for WCS Europe to pitch overboard. He's drawn a deadly opponent in the Ukrainian Zerg Bly. At various points in his career, Bly's sole utility has basically been as a Protoss sniper. Additionally, being on Acer clearly has some perks. Bly is much improved in all match-ups since he first began to make a name for himself in the scene a few years ago. Outside of jjakji, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a more likely assassin from the qualifier pool for a wayward Korean like Daisy.

Prediction: Bly 3-2


Liquid`TLO vs Karnage.StrinterN

The final match of the day features StrinterN, a player who is cast straight out of this WCS Challenger mold. He's been around since 2011 in various forms, either unwilling to commit to Sc2 or simply not skilled enough to make a push to the top tier. You feel like you might recognize the name from a Dreamhack, but you're not sure. He was definitely at least one, and you're impressed you even remember reading his name in the results table. Was he at The Gathering once? Or Assembly? Who knows. Either way, he's the massive underdog against TLO. StrinterN's qualifying run features narrow wins over GoOdy and souL, not the pedigree shared by many of the other qualifiers. In fact, before making it here through the final ladder qualifier, StrinterN was eliminated in the first and second rounds of the two other qualifier he played in.

Still, he's here, and that's all that matters now. TLO had a sizzling start to 2013 that had many speaking about his eventual tournament win as a matter of "when" and not "if". Then TLO faded and the Koreans took over for good. We'll see if the offseason has rejuvenated the German's form and put him in the ever-crucial right mindset. On paper, he shouldn't be tested by StrinterN, but Lilbow, desRow, and Top have already taught us serious lessons about picking old favorites over scrappy Protoss players. There's no reason not to watch this series out.

Prediction: TLO 3-0


*elfi

WCS America Challenger

WCS America will resume next week.